SALT encourages area patrons to 'Love Your Library'

The Smith County Libraries invite everyone to join them in celebrating February as Love Your Library Month. Each public library in the county has developed a schedule of special events to engage their supporters - children and adults.

This is the second year all of the Smith County public libraries have set February as Love Your Library Month. Most of the libraries will again feature a "65 Reasons to Love Your Library" poster to encourage their patrons to think about what they love about their libraries. And most will include a special way for patrons to display their own reasons - on another poster, on a paper heart, on a special Valentine tree.

"Actually, we encourage love for our library in many ways throughout the year," says Bonnie Hinkle, Library Director of the Troup Municipal Library. "But in February, we are even more fervent than usual," she adds.

The special projects range from naming "The Most Romantic Couple" at the Whitehouse Library to a special week of children's stories called "We Love to Read: Book a Trip Around the World" at the Tyler Library. International students at Tyler Junior College will read the stories for this week. The Lindale Library sponsors an event to honor their volunteers. The Troup Library gets February off to a big start with "Souper Sunday," a soup and dessert luncheon on Saturday, Feb. 3, Super Bowl Sunday. There's more going on; so check your local library for more opportunities to enjoy and to love your library.

Love Your Library Month was adopted as a project of Smith County Area Libraries Together (SALT) last year with the first Love Your Library month. Celebration of this special month is a way to benefit patrons and also call attention to the important role public libraries play in the cultural and economic life of this region.

For more information about the activities above, as well as the collections and services of each Smith County Library, contact the library of your choice at the following telephone numbers or websites:

Bullard Library - 903-894-6125 - www.bullardlibrary.org

Lindale Library - 903-882-1900 - www.lindalelibrary.org

Noonday Community Library - 903-939-0540 - thenoondaylibrary@suddenlink.com

Troup Municipal Library - 903-842-3101 - tlibrary@hotmail.com

Tyler Public Library - 903-593-7323 - www.tylerlibrary.com Whitehouse Community Library - 903-839-2949 - www.whitehousetx.booksys.net..